Oct, 12.
On October 7 a Tokyo message to Toho, an agency which always has its ear very close to the ground for official movements said plainly that Mr. Yada was jertly going -to Nanking to discuss the questions outstanding between China and Japan. To-day the Consul-General tells the same news agency that nothing is yet fixed and that he shall of course, make no move without instructions from his Government, which it is to be inferred have not yet come, To what this apparent change of plans may be due, there is no guide, Imagination naturally suggests the scandalous doings of the Anti-Japanese Boycott Committee. If other conditions were favourable, the Japanese Government would hardly be deterred from a settlement of high political matters by the lawlessness of a wretched gang of pilferers less respectable than avowed bandits, because they pursue their depredations under a cloak of canting patriotism, But assuredly the Boycott Committee does not help to produce the sort of atmosphere that makes for calm discussion and friendly conclusions, especially og the Chinese Government does nothing to restrain it. The local Defence Commissioner proclaims that no fines of any kind: are to be, levied except those legally imposed, and all cases of attempts to collect ther. must be reported to him, But when merchants who have been fined for possessing Japanese goods complain, they get no help. Officials to whom Japanese consuls protest declare they can do nothing because it is a "patriotic movement." And at Canton the Government actually forbids the merchants to employ guards to protect their goods from being plundered by the pickets. Thus are scoundrels allowed -openly to seize other men's goods, sell them or exact fines for their return, and line their pockets under the protection of their
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.